Addiction is rampant today and whatever the ‘substance’ the effect is the same—numb out, dissociate, flee from the perception of pain (be it physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual). But, is it a disease or is it a reflection of our inability to self and/or mutually regulate our affective state? Are behaviors labeled as addiction or addictive accurate? Or, do labels simply shadow deeper manifestations motivating people to reach for something to quell their emotional fluctuations, to smooth the ups and downs in their bodily being? These questions and more are considered in our Winter issue.
